Once gray winter night, I took the opportunity to clean out old folders in a closet.
As I opened the first box, the musty aroma filled my lungs.
You know the smell – a combination of your grandmother’s closet and an elementary school gym.
Shifting through the yellowing pages, one old memo grabbed my eye.
Entitled ‘What Makes A Great Jock’, points included:
- A distinguishable, warm voice
- Good judgment on content
- Sounds like they are having fun
- Contemporary thinker
- Ability to envision their show in their mind
- Good on-air rap with listeners, traffic, news and others in studio
- They realize the necessity of public appearances
- They follow directions well
- They have an appreciation of all aspects of the radio station
- They understand that THEY work for the station, not the other way around
Kent Burkhart – October 1985
Embellishments and further articulation to these basic points have evolved.
Storytelling is a missing must-have attribute that separates YOU from a Spotify list.
However, the basics never change.
Covid-19 has altered the avenues of listener interaction and the digital tsunami have certainly added to the ‘list’.
Zoom seminar agendas table the ‘content’ topic – yet we seem more intoxicated with the content delivery systems (iPhone – Social Internet – Podcast) than actual content.
It’s not the speakers – it’s what comes through the speakers.
In the words of The Talking Heads – Same As It Ever Was.
Next Week – Oprah!
